New second generation Dirac Live

[Youreye]

Wow, no coverage from CES about the Dirac Live and the new Bass module? Must be very busy at the Dirac booth. I would love to see at least something not just one picture and the release statement.:((

[Kal Rubinson]

I was invited to a private meeting with Dirac at CES but, since I no longer go to CES, that never happened.  In my defense of our intrepid reporter, there are many rooms I ignore at shows because they are outside my range of interest and he has to make the same type of choice.

[Youreye]

17 hours ago, Kal Rubinson said:

I was invited to a private meeting with Dirac at CES but, since I no longer go to CES, that never happened.  In my defense of our intrepid reporter, there are many rooms I ignore at shows because they are outside my range of interest and he has to make the same type of choice.

Hi Kal! Sorry if this sounded like I would blame you or this community etc. I am just wondering how very little we know about this exciting new features and really no one is reporting on this. Maybe we will see again some interviews later but I would rather see something short  where they show the features, talk about the system the choices etc. Arcam has just (a week ago) released some step by step guidance about the Dirac setup how to.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

7 hours ago, Youreye said:

Hi Kal! Sorry if this sounded like I would blame you or this community etc. I am just wondering how very little we know about this exciting new features and really no one is reporting on this. Maybe we will see again some interviews later but I would rather see something short  where they show the features, talk about the system the choices etc. Arcam has just (a week ago) released some step by step guidance about the Dirac setup how to.

Sorry for the tone of my retort.  For some reason, I thought I was reading/responding on Stereophile's website and responded as I would there.  When I realized my error, it was too late to edit it.

 

Anyway, there is discussion on AVS and on AV Nirvana.  My last direct contact with them was in Munich back in May.  

[Morbo]

On 1/13/2019 at 3:12 AM, michael123 said:

For those who use Dirac 2.0: experienced something strange - it was actually very bad, and strange as I used for the lack of issues in this domain

 

First, I measured 'Sofa' setting, and got focus moved heavily to the left channel. Then I thought something with the measurements points, and measured 'Chair'. Same result - either left channel emphasized, or right - if I swap the measurements points

 

Real disaster! What went wrong?

 

Same microphone, same version produced fine results in other system

 

The difference is that I used 'DirectSound', could not use anything else, did not produce any sound. First used 96Khz, then repeated with 48KHz -- no change apparently

 

Hi Michael, this is fascinating! I have registered just to reply to you, as I am seeing similar behavior. Did a full set of Sofa measurements VIA windows 10 laptop, at 48khz, this is all I am able to do in the Dirac app. Dirac is sending filters to my NAD T758 v3. Speakers are a 7.0.4 setup, no sub.

 

When I playback files from tidal, I see some baffling behaviour. In stereo, I have stable wonderful center image playing back 'cd quality' files. When I playback MQA files however, the image collapses to the left speaker. I will try to recreate this behaviour on various bit depth and sampling rate flac files via bluos later on. 

 

Interestingly, I previously had my system configured as 7.1.4, and did not have this problem. I am led to understand the NAD will do dirac on 2.0 audio at higher sampling rates, while anything above 2.0 (*including* 2.1 stereo) is internally resampled to 48khz. Thus I begin to think the problem lies somewhere in NADs implementation dirac when applying the filters at  >48khz  sampling rates. 

[SteveS1]

On 1/13/2019 at 8:12 AM, michael123 said:

For those who use Dirac 2.0: experienced something strange - it was actually very bad, and strange as I used for the lack of issues in this domain

 

First, I measured 'Sofa' setting, and got focus moved heavily to the left channel. Then I thought something with the measurements points, and measured 'Chair'. Same result - either left channel emphasized, or right - if I swap the measurements points

 

Real disaster! What went wrong?

 

Same microphone, same version produced fine results in other system

 

The difference is that I used 'DirectSound', could not use anything else, did not produce any sound. First used 96Khz, then repeated with 48KHz -- no change apparently

 

I'm testing the new Dirac Live Processor as plug in for Audirvana on a Mac with similar results to those you describe - a collapsed image to one side.  Underneath the obvious problem with image, there seems to be a good sound trying to get out.  I have managed to create a Sofa Focus project/filter after quite a lot of messing about.

 

First, the new look and layout is a big disappointment to me.  The original is clear and intuitive even if you don't read the notes.  This one is miles away from that.  Essential features are hidden and simple tasks unclear.  The colour combination doesn't help, nor do the annoying pop-up confirmation messages which quickly stack up and obscure the next actions.  The design is a total mess compared to the previous one.  A classic case of not needing to fix something that wasn't broken.

 

All that's needed here is to introduce the new measurement patterns and algorithms to the already excellent GUI.

 

I haven't uninstalled my Dirac Live Studio thank goodness.  Hope this helps Flavio, and if there is another feedback mechanism for details I'm happy to help.

 

 

[wgscott]

Of all the changes and attempted improvements since starting this experiment (which coincided with registering at Computer Audiophile on April 19, 2010), using Dirac room correction has made the most significant and pronounced improvement in my system.  (This shouldn't come as a surprise in retrospect, since it is one of the few alterations whose results are objectively measurable and reproducible.)  For me, it reinforced the power and potential of the Computer part of Computer Audiophile.

 

But I also recognize that this is a minority opinion, and indeed the word Computer has been eliminated from the title of the website.  (Although the name per se means little, the change in name does have a significance, and the direction is clearly aligned with the new title.)

 

The reality is that the majority of "audiophiles" view changing cables and interconnects or other such tweaks as much more important (and perhaps legitimate) than systematically addressing speaker and room anomalies with software. I think this is unfortunate, because computer-based room/speaker correction (and software crossovers coupled to active speakers, even more so) both help to realize the potential of computer audio playback in a way that provides clear, objective, measurable, reproducible and demonstrable improvement to sound quality.  A user that is able to do this on a computer they fully control, rather than a sealed black box, is correspondingly at an even greater advantage and can be an active participant in the process of re-creating music, rather than a passive consumer of canned output.

[michael123]

On 1/20/2019 at 7:19 PM, SteveS1 said:

 

I'm testing the new Dirac Live Processor as plug in for Audirvana on a Mac with similar results to those you describe - a collapsed image to one side.  Underneath the obvious problem with image, there seems to be a good sound trying to get out.  I have managed to create a Sofa Focus project/filter after quite a lot of messing about.

 

First, the new look and layout is a big disappointment to me.  The original is clear and intuitive even if you don't read the notes.  This one is miles away from that.  Essential features are hidden and simple tasks unclear.  The colour combination doesn't help, nor do the annoying pop-up confirmation messages which quickly stack up and obscure the next actions.  The design is a total mess compared to the previous one.  A classic case of not needing to fix something that wasn't broken.

 

All that's needed here is to introduce the new measurement patterns and algorithms to the already excellent GUI.

 

I haven't uninstalled my Dirac Live Studio thank goodness.  Hope this helps Flavio, and if there is another feedback mechanism for details I'm happy to help.

 

 

 

Popups indeed very annoying, you need to keep closing them all the time 😞

 

Hopefully sound issues will be fixed for next beta

[SavantGarde]

I'm also trying out the new Dirac Live and have made three nine-point measurements, so far. Two of them resulted in filters that distorted the stereo image (bass instruments, such as timpani moved heavily to the left) but one of them seems to have been successful with no significant changes to the stereo image. Unfortunately I can't think of any difference between the three measurement sessions that might explain the differences in result.  

[michelangelo]

I have the same problem.
The error did not occur in the previous version of the DiracLiveProcessor.

I have also tested it with several mono recordings and the sound is shifted to the left.

Especially there he should come exactly from the middle.

[michelangelo]

@flak: Is there any news about the Dirac Live Processor 2.0?
Will there be a final version soon?

[SavantGarde]

A new version of the measurement- and filter-creation part of the software (version 2.2.0) was released earlier this week. The main difference seems to be that the stereo image is now skewed heavily to the right instead of to the left.

[flak]

With reference to the standalone version the Dirac Live calibration tool is complete and we have a new build 0.9.11 of the DiracLiveProcessor (still stereo at 48 KHz) aimed at fixing the centering issue.

If interested in testing it please let us know at: http://helpdesk.dirac.se/index.php?pg=request

 

Thanks :)

[Montanari]

Ciao Flavio

IS it still a beta or it Works straight forward? 

I m still happy with the 1.2

[michelangelo]

Hi Flavio,

i have sent a request.

 

Thanks Frank

[flak]

@SteveS1 the latest 2.2 calibration tool tries to take your findings and comments into account including the choice of a different color theme

 

@Montanari ciao, the calibration tool is ready but the DiracLiveProcessor is still an alpha

 

@michelangelo you should have received the 0.9.11 build

 

Thanks for your time and cooperation

 

 

[shinyc]

Hi Flavio,

 

Please check my request as well.

[flak]

2 hours ago, shinyc said:

Hi Flavio,

 

Please check my request as well.

Hi shinyc,

if you have'nt received it please send me an MP with the ticket number

 

Thanks, Flavio

[shinyc]

I just got it. Thank you. 

[Fredde]

Hi Flavio, I sent a request yesterday. Do you want me to send another or just wait? 

/ Thanks, Fred. 

[SteveS1]

Thanks Flavio, request sent.

 

Steve

[Montanari]

is it also with the vst plugin that doesn t work in roon?

[Montanari]

is it also with the vst plugin that doesn t work in roon?

[michael123]

3 minutes ago, Montanari said:

is it also with the vst plugin that doesn t work in roon?

It is with the VST plugin that works very stable in JRiver

[michelangelo]

Also with Audirvana.
However, I can not save more than two filter curves.
After creating a third filter and reopening the DiracLiveProcessor all filters will be deleted.

 

@Montanari : maybe that helps you: https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/37813-new-second-generation-dirac-live/?do=findComment&comment=844161